Palestinian killed by W. Bank Jewish settlers: Ministry

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

“Moutaz Bani Shamsah, 23, was killed when Israeli settlers fired at a group of Palestinian demonstrators in the village of Huwara near the city of Nablus,” the ministry said in a statement.

“A Palestinian journalist was also injured -- shot in the arm -- while covering the demonstration,” it added.

The ministry went on to identify the injured journalist as Majdi Eshtiya, a photographer for U.S. news agency The Associated Press (AP).

The demonstration in Huwara was organized by Palestinian activists to show support for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel who for the last month have been waging a high-profile hunger strike.

Led by jailed resistance icon Marwan Barghouti, more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners began an open-ended hunger strike on April 17 to demand better conditions.